Page 2874 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 15 August 1990
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debate that has ensued. I will take up the point that Mr Humphries made, that he could point to clear economic benefits of school closures. We are still to learn what those clear economic benefits will be. It is the point in relation to which we have been pressing him for some considerable time now, and it is the one that he keeps deferring because he is, as yet, unable to demonstrate those clear economic benefits.
The clear fact is that there are no significant savings to be made from school closures. There is no dispute about that. There was some conventional wisdom years ago that you saved money by closing schools. Indeed, that may be the case in the large States where there are a great number of very small schools in rural areas. Indeed, you can save money by consolidating those schools and using bus services.
Mr Collaery: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: this debate is to my motion that the Bill be withdrawn, because of its - - -
MR SPEAKER: Relevance? Thank you, Mr Collaery. Please remain relevant, Mr Wood.
MR WOOD: That is right, and I am trying to show you how relevant that Bill would be.
Mr Collaery: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: that is sophistry at its extreme.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you. Do not debate the - - -
Mr Collaery: It is irrelevant to discuss other than standing orders and the legal issues relating to the matter before you.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Collaery. Please proceed to the point, Mr Wood.
MR WOOD: I suppose it is not surprising that we have a lawyer wanting to resort to the sophistry of legal arguments to constrain debate. But we wait for the day, and we hope to get it through the manner of this Bill, when we can debate in this house in full those clear economic benefits about which Mr Humphries so often talks but which he never demonstrates.
Since he asked the question, I refer him to a paper by Helen Szuty and Graeme Evans who detailed, in some considerable degree, the way to provide funds, or the way to make savings in other areas. I could suggest to Mr Jensen that we do not need a fifth ministry.
MR SPEAKER: Relevance.
MR WOOD: Yes, Mr Speaker. We could keep a school open for a full year with the cost that is incurred for each year
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